comrade or hero, but deep, sustained cries of joy, expressive of some long-held hope attained and relief conferred. They looked at each other; and Melathys went to the head of the ladder and called down to Dirion. The cheering was spreading through the village and they could hear feet running and men's voices shouting excitedly in Yeldashay. Melathys went down and he heard her calling to someone further off. Noise and excitement were blazing round the house like a fire and he had almost determined to try to go down himself when she returned, climbing the ladder as lightly as a squirrel. She took his good hand and, kneeling on the floor beside him, looked up into his face.
'Elleroth's here,' she said, 'and the news is that the war's over: but I don't know what that means any more than you.'
He kissed her and they waited in silence. Melathys laid her head on his knee and he stroked her hair, wondering to find himself so indifferent to his fate. He thought of Genshed, of the slave-children, of Shara and her coloured stones, of the death of Shardik and the burning raft. It seemed to matter little what might follow upon diese, except that come what might he would not leave Melathys. At length he said, 'Have you seen Shouter this morning?'
'Yes. At least he's no worse. Yesterday I paid a woman to look after him. She seems honest.'
Some time later they heard men entering below, and then Tan-Rion speaking quickly in words they could not catch. A few moments afterwards he appeared at the head of the ladder, followed by Radu. Both stood waiting, looking down at someone who was following them. There was a pause and then Elleroth climbed awkwardly into the room, stretching out his ungloved right hand for help before stepping off the rungs.
Kelderek and Melathys rose and stood side by side as the Ban of Sarkid and his companions came forward to meet them. Elleroth, who was as clean and impeccably dressed as when Kelderek had last seen him in Kabin, offered his hand and after a moment's hesitation Kelderek took it, though returning the other's look uncertainly.
'We meet as friends today, Crendrik,' said Elleroth. 'That is, if you are willing, as I am.'
'Your son is my friend,' replied Kelderek. 'I can truly say that. We suffered much together and believed we had lost our lives.'
'So he tells me. I have heard little about it as yet, but I know that you were wounded defending him and that you probably saved his life.'
'What happened,' replied Kelderek hesitantly, 'was – was confused. But it was Lord Shardik who laid down his life – it was he who saved us all.' 'That too Radu has told me. Well, I see that I have much still to hear; and perhaps something to learn as well.' He smiled at Melathys.
'Lord Kelderek has been gravely ill,' she said, 'and is still weak. I think we should sit down. I am only sorry that these are such rough quarters.'
'Mine have been worse these two nights past,' answered Elleroth cheerfully, 'and it seemed no hardship in the world, I can assure you. You are a priestess of Quiso, I take it?' Melathys looked confused and it was Kelderek who replied.
'This is the priestess Melathys, whom the Tuginda of Quiso sent as her deputy to conduct the last rites of Lord Shardik. The Tuginda was injured in Zeray and is still lying sick there.'
'I am sorry to hear it,' said Elleroth, 'for she is honoured as a healer from Ikat to Ortelga. But even she was taking too much danger on herself when she crossed the Vrako. Had I known, when she came to see me in Kabin, that she meant to go to Zeray, I would have prevented it. I hope she will soon be recovered.'
'Pray God she will,' replied Melathys. 'I left her out of danger and better than she had been.'
They sat together on the rough benches, in the gallery overlooking the Telthearna, while one of Tan-Rion's soldiers brought nuts, black bread and wine. Elleroth, who looked tired almost to the point of collapse, expressed concern for Kelderek's wounds and went on to enquire about the last rites of Shardik.
'Your soldiers did everything they could to help us,' answered Kelderek. 'They and the village people.' Then, wishing to avoid being questioned about the details of the ceremony, he said, 'You've marched from Kabin? You must have made great speed. Surely this is only the fourth day since Lord Shardik died?'
'The news was brought down the river to Zeray that evening,' replied Elleroth, 'and reached me in Kabin before noon of the next day. To march sixty miles in two and a half days is slow for a man whose son and heir was dead and is alive again, but then it's rough country and heavy going, as you'll know yourself.'
'But you have hardly been in Tissarn an hour,' said Melathys. 'You should have eaten a meal and rested before troubling yourself to come here.'
'On the contrary,' rejoined Elleroth, 'I would have come here sooner, but such is my vanity that I'm afraid I stopped to wash and change my clothes, though I confess I did not know that I was going to meet one of the beautiful priestesses of Quiso.'
Melathys laughed like a girl accustomed to be teased and to tease in return.
'Then why the haste? Are Yeldashay nobles always so punctilious?'
'Yeldashay, saiyett? I am from Sarkid of the Sheaves.' Then, gravely, he said, 'Well, I had a reason. I felt that you, Crendrik, deserved to receive my thanks and to hear my news as quickly as I could bring both to you.'
He paused, but Kelderek said nothing and after a few moments Elleroth went on, 'If you still feel any anxiety on your own account, I hope you will set it aside. When I told you in Kabin that we should kill you if we came upon you again, we were not to know that you would share the misery of slavery with the heir of Sarkid and play a part in saving his life.'
Kelderek rose abrupdy, walked a few steps away and stood with his back turned, looking out at the river. Tan-Rion raised his eyebrows and half-rose, but Elleroth shook his head and waited, taking Radu's hand and speaking quietly to him, aside, until Kelderek should have recovered his composure.
Turning at length, Kelderek said roughly, 'And do you bear in mind also that it is I who brought about your son's sufferings and the little girl's death?' 'My father has heard nothing yet of Shara,' said Radu.
'Crendrik,' said Elleroth, 'if you feel contrition, I can only be glad for it. I know that you have suffered – probably more than you can ever recount, for true suffering is of the mind and regret is the worst of it. I, too, have suffered grief and fear – for long weeks I suffered the loss of my son and believed him lost to me. Now we are all three released – he, you and I – and whether or not it was indeed a miracle, I am not so mean-spirited as to withhold gratitude from the poor bear, who came alive from the Streel, like the Lord Deparioth's own mother; or to retain any grudge against a man who has befriended my son. I say all debts are cleared by Shardik's death – his sacred death, for this we must believe it to have been. But I have another reason also for friendship between us – a political reason, if you like. There is now peace between Ikat and Bekla and even while we speak all prisoners and hostages are returning home.' He smiled. 'So it really wouldn't be at all appropriate, would it, for me to feel vindictive towards you.'
Kelderek sat down on the bench. From the shore outside came the cries of three or four young fishermen who were launching their canoes.
'At the time when you were in Kabin,' went on Elleroth, trying rather unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn of sheer exhaustion, 'General Santil-ke-Erketlis was personally leading some of our troops to overtake and release a slave- column travelling westwards from Thettit. He succeeded, but it brought him very close to the Beklan army, which, as I dare say you know, had followed us north from the Yeldashay frontier. It was while General Erketlis was returning with the slaves he had freed that he came upon a party of Beklan officers, who were also making for Kabin – to negotiate with us. They were headed by General Zelda and their purpose was to propose an immediate truce and the discussion of terms of peace.
'Three days ago I was taking part with Erketlis in that discussion with the Ortelgans, when news arrived from Zeray of what had happened here. I left for Tissarn at once, but nevertheless I'm sure that the terms will have been agreed by now. I needn't weary you with all the details – not until later – but the main is that Yelda, Lapan and Belishba will become independent of Bekla. The Ortelgans are to retain Bekla and the remaining provinces in return for an undertaking to abolish the slave trade and to help in returning all slaves to their homes.'
Kelderek nodded slowly, staring down into his wine-cup and tilting it this way and that. At length he looked up at Elleroth and said,
'I'm glad the war's over and more than glad that they'll abolish the slave trade.' He put a hand over his eyes. 'It's good of you to have come here to tell us so promptly. If I can't make you any better answer, it's because I'm still weak and my mind's confused. I hope we can talk again – tomorrow, perhaps.'
'I shall be here for some days yet,' answered Elleroth, 'and we'll certainly meet again, for I've one or two
